Things to Think about When It Comes to Creating Your Book’s Title
Your book’s title. Never will an author place so high a value on so small an amount of words. And by no means is the magnitude of this choice misguided. Choosing a title will be as big a decision as any that you’ll make in the writing process. No pressure. What makes a good title? […]
The 5 Traits That All Successful Authors Share
If you want to be a 100 metre sprinter, you need more than just the sort of quick twitch fibres that’ll carry you to the finish line in around 10 seconds. If you’re hoping to become an actor the ability to convey stylised emotion is a non-negotiable, but it alone won’t get you drowned out […]
What Do I Look for in a Good Book Cover Design Firm?
In certain professions, ability, to some degree, can be measured at a glance. If you want to hire a jockey, don’t go for the one who looks just as likely to eat the horse as he does to ride it. If you’re hunting for a mountainous bowl of traditional Italian pasta, a Nonna with a […]
6 Common Self-Publishing Slip-Ups – and How to Avoid Them
“The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.” Good point Teddy Roosevelt. And as a self-publishing author you are most certainly doing something, so it’s inevitable that there’ll be a few slip-ups along the way. But there’s no need to make mistakes that others – bless their cotton […]
Why Formatting and Editing Are Self-Publishing Non-Negotiables
Formatting is like refereeing – you don’t notice it until it’s done badly. Editing is like housework – it’s only appreciated when it is lacking. Formatting and editing are so often self-publishing afterthoughts. After the hard slog of writing a fully-fledged novel, it’s perhaps unsurprising that some authors aren’t that keen to go over the […]
4 Authors Who Began Their Careers Writing One Thing and Finished with Another
For many an actor, typecasting is somewhat inevitable. We don’t expect Johnny Knoxville to take on the role of Hamlet, nor do we expect Morgan Freeman to provide us with anything but voice overs as God from here on in. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; it could simply be that we’d struggle to imagine […]
Literally vs Figuratively: Why Your Book Cover Should Keep ‘Em Guessing
There’s a beauty in telling a story in as few keystrokes as possible. Simmering your prose down to the bare bones serves to make it clearer, more impactful and more exciting. “The road to hell is paved with adverbs,” says Stephen King, wordsmith extraordinaire and man who has somehow lived up to his brazenly immodest […]
What Makes a Good Author Bio?
Ask any author (or indeed yourself): what’s the hardest thing to write about? Extreme violence? Affairs of the heart? Particle physics? Sure, they can all be difficult, but by no means do they take the cake. The worst, most painful thing that any writer will write about, science has confirmed, is themselves. Like yodelling on […]
The Importance of a Professional Book Cover Design
In today’s world of wikiHow and YouTube tutorials the more hands-on amongst us are becoming less and less inclined to outsource work to trained professionals. If detailed instructions on how to unblock a pipe or grow the perfect lawn are available in just a few quick clicks, why should you pay for professional help? Unfortunately […]
10 Questions for Lee Goldberg
A writer’s journey and experiences can be as interesting as the stories they write. Lee’s story and perspective reflects some reality of the business of becoming a #1 bestselling author. Lee Goldberg is an ex-Navy SEAL, nuclear physicist and a professional Daniel Craig impersonator. Okay, that’s not true but we had you for a second. […]
